GOLD-TIPPED FEATHER TREE
By Craft Marketing Connections, Inc.
MATERIALS:
- Design Master Brilliant Gold 731
- Foam board sheet, 20″ x 28″ x 3/16”, white
- Feathers:
- 4″ – 6″ fuzzy white (marabou), approx. nineteen
- 10″ – 12″ long white, with quills (turkey), approx. sixteen
- Scrap of craft foam, approx. 4″ x 12″ (to hold feathers while drying)
- Cording, 6 yds. 1/8″ diameter, gold
- Misc.: Old newspapers, large cardboard box (for spraying), pencil, metal ruler, cutting mat, craft knife, large paper clip, glue gun and glue sticks
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a well-ventilated, newspaper-covered area (inside box) spray only the bottom 2″ – 3″ of sixteen large feathers with Brilliant Gold. One to two coats should do it. Insert feathers into foam to hold while drying.
2. Similarly, paint only the bottom 1 1/2″ – 2″ of nineteen small feathers with Brilliant Gold and insert into foam while drying.
3. Use pencil and metal ruler to draw 8 1/2″ x 20″ rectangle on foam board. To draw tall triangle, find middle of one 8 1/2″ side. From opposite two corners, draw diagonal lines to that middle point, creating a triangle.
4. Use craft knife and metal ruler on cutting mat to cut out foam board triangle (Hint: Score lightly first and then press more firmly to cut deeper, with several passes of the knife.) Since feathers are somewhat translucent, you can avoid seeing the straight line of foam board through bottom feathers by making an irregular edge as follows: Along bottom of triangle, use pencil to sketch about six random zig zags. Use craft knife to cut out and discard little triangles.
5. Referring to photo, before gluing anything, organize position of feathers onto foam board, in rows with bottoms fanned out as explained below. (Note: Feathers have a curve to them so make the quills and tips down with the middles raised. For now, they will flip flop on you but you can control them when you glue them.)
For bottom row, place seven feathers with quills 7″ up from bottom of foam board and feather ends extended off end of board. Rearrange feathers based on their shapes, with those curving right or left, on that side of the foam board. Also mix up feathers with a “perfect” look with the “scruffy” ones (that have character).
Set middle row of five feather quills 5″ down from top point of foam board and ends overlapping bottom row of feathers.
Set top row of four feather quills on top point of foam board and ends overlapping middle row of feathers. Wait to place any small feathers.
6. Gently slide out foam board from feather arrangement and set beside it. Re-position bottom row of feathers back onto foam board. (Reminder that it’s 7″ up from bottom.) Adjust so that outside feathers extend over edge and no foam board shows between middles of feathers. Hot glue quills in place and hold foam board and quills on table until glue sets. (Do not glue anywhere else but quill ends of feathers.)
7. Reposition and glue five feather quills on middle row with bottoms fanned out and overlapping bottom row and outside feathers extending over edge of foam board. (Again, do not glue bottoms of feathers. Any foam board spaces you see near the quills will later be covered by small feathers.)
8. Reposition and glue top row of four feathers with quills touching point of foam board triangle.
9. Before gluing any small feathers, refer to photo to see the three rows created by tucking their quills in with the large feather quills. Distribute feathers: (approximately) 9 bottom row; 5 middle row; 4 top row; and 1 extending out top of foam board point. When satisfied with arrangement, hot glue quills in place.
10. For gold bow, cut off 5″ from gold cord. With rest of cord, loosely wind around the palm of your hand. Carefully slide off loops and tie middle of all loops with 5″ cord. Tightly pull ends and knot. Then separate loops to arrange bow. Hot glue to top of feather tree, tucking under and gluing cut ends.
11. Make hanger by separating loops 1/4″ on large paper clip. Hot glue small loop about 5″ down from top, on back of foam board so that large loop can hold tree. (Optional: Cut 3/4″ square scrap of white paper to cover paper clip glued area, if desired.)
